Tony Sutton’s Blog!

Have been finding out more about the hotel…

* 4 stars!
* Individually controlled air conditioning & heating
* Complimentary WiFi access
* Complimentary wired high speed internet access
* Large flat screen LCD television

I am *so* looking forward to it…

Hotel - SORTED
Train tickets - SORTED
Underground tickets for 5 days - SORTED
Plans in the evenings - HALF SORTED
Pack clothes - NOT SORTED

Train & underground tickets came to £110!! Thankfully work gave me rail warrant to cover the costs.

BBC got back to me, and offered to move the filming date from 30th to 26th, but that’s the day I go back home. So I’ve turned them down as they do not cover the costs of travelling to London from Norwich on these other date. It’s for the See Hear TV show.

Shame, really…

Anyway, TV time.

Well, well, looks like thehotel that I was supposed to stay is actually fully booked. Don’t ask me why work tried to book it at the last minute!

Looks like it will be either Royal Sussex Hotel, Ambassadors in Bloomsbury or somewhere else.

Going to find out which hotel I’m staying tomorrow…

In other news, the wind has calmed down which is good. The drive was much better - earlier the wind was trying to control my car!!

Friday’s tomorrow - yay!

Driving around, there are lots of uprooted tree, broken tree bits all over the road. Heck even sitting in my car, the car is moving from the force of the wind!
We have two trees at home… Hopefully they hasn’t fallen over!! Will be heading home as soon as I have picked up the missus.

Right, I will be in London between 21st Jan and 26th Jan for my Microsoft training.

I will be staying in a posh hotel almost next to Oxford Street (w00t!!) and I need to plan what to do during the evenings.

I have Wed sorted (Deaf pub meetup) but need to plan for Mon, Tues and Thurs. Friday is where I head back home in the afternoon.

British Museum is only 5-10 mins walk away, so I will plan to go there if they’re open in the evening - need to find out.

Any other suggestions? Obviously need to be something in the evening…

Looks like the new door is working now… before the new door, the porch was freezing cold and drafty. But now, when I entered the porch, it’s warm!

Yay!

The new door looks great!

Before

Inside - http://www.hypergallery.co.uk/ownedhouse/IMG_5604
Outside - http://www.hypergallery.co.uk/ownedhouse/IMG_5608

After

Inside - http://www.hypergallery.co.uk/ownedhouse/IMG_5619
Outside - http://www.hypergallery.co.uk/ownedhouse/IMG_5623

We are pleased now!

Home now.

Car is looking good with the new bumper. But need an indepth inspection once the rain stops to see if there are any paintwork streaks or something else.

Porch cleared up and waiting for them to turn up…

* Call Enterpiss to let them know that we’re returning the hire car
* Drive to Norwich & drop off car
* They give us lift back to home town and to the bodyshop garage
* Inspect my car and if all OK, sign for it.
* Drive back home
* Clean up house and clear out the porch
* Wait for double glazing company to turn up to fit the new door
* Have lunch
* 2 or 3 hours later, double glazing company leaves
* Relax? Do something? No idea!

Car

Just been to the bodyshop to see if everything are all done for my car and they said yes. Yay! Saw the new bumper, it’s all clean and shiney!

Going to pick it up tomorrow morning as I had to drop off the Enterpiss hire car at the office and they will give me a lift back home.

And that’s funny… Google Enterpiss and what did it come up? “Did you mean Enterprise” Not surprised then. ;D

Money

Just receved the £50 cheque from 3rd party insurance for the mess up with the car hire - they’re quick!
That will go straight to the New Bathroom Fund

Some of you may remember my issue with card fraud.
Well I just got an email from BBC inviting me to go to London to do some filming about the card fraud.
I can’t remember how they got my contact details. Don’t think I will be going anyway cos I’m camera shy. But it is good to see they are doing some story about it.

What a big cock up for today!!

Dropped off car at 8:15am

Waiting for hire car to turn up at 8:30am, so we can go straight to work.

9am came, no hire car yet. We are freezing out arses off waiting in the cold bodyshop garage, I emailed to find out what is going on. She said she is checking to see what is happening.

9:30am came. Got a reply, saying that Enterprise is coming over straightaway.

At around the same time, Enterprise called the bodyshop garage, saying that the “issue is still being resolved”.

10am - still nothing

10:30am - still nothing. Emailed again. Got a reply, she’s on the phone to Enterprise again.

10:40am - Enterprise said the car is on the way. At last!

11:10am - Car turned up. But they are not going to give me the car, they’re taking me back to the Enterprise office to do the paperwork! ARGH. That’s 30 mins drive away.

11:15am - Decided to give work a miss because by the time we get there and finish the paperwork, it will be already well into afternoon!

11:45 - Arrived at the office. Go through paperwork. They said the car that was supposed to be booked for us is not available. They said we could wait. We said no because we have waited all morning, so they gave us the smallest car they have available - a Toyota Yaris - what a rubbish car and so slow. Think it’s an 1.2 engine or so. Still better than nothing.

12pm - At last, left the hire car company

12:05pm - Something happened! (will go into this once all sorted out)

12:30pm - went to a pub to have a relaxing drink !!!

What a LONG and tiring morning for us… we’re worn out trying to sort it out. The 3rd party insurance was veru sorry but was not happy about it because the hire car booking has been confirmed THREE TIMES, yes that’s right, you read it right… THREE TIMES. Yet Enterprise said there was no booking made! Hence this cock up. I was offered £50 as “loss of earnings or we could issue a cheque to yourself for all this inconvience.” - I accepted it.

Anyway, back to my car… they inspected it and all it needs is a new bumper - part to be ordered and then spray it black. The chassic that holds the bumper protection inside is bent a little but nothing too serious, so all is good. Hoping to have the car ready by the end of Tuesday, but since I have Wed off, I’m going to pick up the car on Wed.

But!

I have to drive all the way to the Enterprise office to drop off the car and then USING the same car, someone will drive us all the way to my home town (where the Ford bodyshop is) so I can collect the car. The drive between my home town and Norwich and then back to my home town is 1 hour round trip, so it’s all waste of time. :/

/rant off

It’s the weekend once again.

Hello all!

The stormy weather seems to have eased away which I am glad.

Lots of things to do this weekend, including preparing my car for the bodyshop repair this Monday. Hire car will be dropped off, it’ll be Class E from Enterprise, more likely to be Vauxhall Vectra but who knows? We’ll see on Monday…

Time to get ready to get the day started!

Good old Wiki - I’ve found that our town, Wymondham Norfolk, was the first in the country to have the idea of… ready for it… PRISON!

Yep, you read it right. It started in 1785, where the idea was put forward to have a prison with separate cells for the prisoners. This was widely copied both in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Amazing, eh? You can find more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wymondham

So what secret does your town holds?

Finally, I’ve received the full Black Diamond brake kit for my car and my god, it’s so sweeeeet. (and heavy… think I’ve cracked my back in half…)

Now need to arrange a time with the garage to fit them.

Piccy @ http://www.hypergallery.co.uk/blackdiamond